Worst Nightmare
by WrenLoK
Summary: A Korrasami fic. Set in the near future after the finale. Korra wakes up in the middle of the night after a phantom Avatar nightmare to find Asami missing.


The dream was rare these days, but on the occasions that it still came it left her screaming. Sometimes she wondered if there was still a trace of poison in her body that she could not feel.

This time, the Avatar state did not attack. It stood calmly and threateningly between the shadows, an overwhelming presence pulling at Korra's soul.

She woke up screaming, drenched in sweat and heart pounding painfully fast, clutching at the sheets so tight she sometimes tore them. It was at this point that she usually felt Asami's cool hand on the side of her face, drawing her back towards a sense of calm. But this time, Asami wasn't there.

'Asami?' Korra's trembling whisper cut through the quiet. She slid her hand across the bed and felt the empty space that her girlfriend was meant to occupy. Where was she?

Korra sat up and let her eyes adjust to the room. Moonlight shone brightly through the balcony windows and the sheer curtains breathed in and out with the wind. Both the windows and balcony door were wide open. Korra rolled off the bed and stepped outside, expecting to find Asami leaning on the railing, but there was no one there.

Brushing a tear from her cheek with a shaking hand Korra wandered back through the room and out into the hallway, searching for a source of light that might lead her to the comfort she craved.

'Asami?'

The silence was deafening. The hallway was pitch black. Korra walked down towards the stairs carefully, fingertips trailing on the wall.

A soft blue light illuminated the staircase landing. When Korra reached the ground she discovered that the light was a spirit, small and blue with pink ears, sitting on the countertop in the next room.

'What are you doing here?' Korra whispered.

The light emitting from the spirit flickered strangely. 'I'm here to warn the Avatar,' it said. 'There is danger here.'

'What? What are you talking about?'

'Danger is fast approaching, Avatar. You have to help.' With that, the spirit bounded off the countertop and scampered out the window.

'Hey, wait!' Almost tripping over her own feet, Korra bolted for the front door and try to catch up the spirit, but by the time she got outside the it was gone.

Outside was worse than inside. Korra peered out at the city and realised with horror that she could hardly see any lights. It was as if Republic City had been blacked out. Fear flooded her system and she whirled around, sprinting back inside.

'Asami! _Asami_!' Korra ran back through the dark house, searching from room to room for her girlfriend. None of the lights were working. After a moment, almost shaking her head at her own stupidity Korra filled her hands with fire and lit up the hallway.

'_Asami_!'

Even with the rooms lit up, it was clear that Asami was nowhere in the house. Korra ran back downstairs, threw open the door to the garage and sent a spurt of fire shooting across the ceiling, briefly lighting up Asami's row of cars and illuminating Naga's sleeping body between them.

'Naga, wake up! Something's wrong!'

Korra bent a spray of water into Naga's face, and the polar bear dog leapt into startled action with a growl.

'Where is Asami?' she asked desperately. Naga could only whine. Korra climbed onto Naga's back and directed her towards the garage door, which she flung open with a blast of air. 'We have to get help,' she said. 'Come on, let's get to the Air Temple.'

Naga thundered through the darkened streets, lit up only by the ball of fire in Korra's hand and the spirits, which were everywhere. Each time Naga slowed to round a tight corner Korra would throw a question to one of the spirits, asking if they had seen Asami or if they knew what was going on. Each one answered the same, 'Danger is approaching, Avatar.'

Korra thought about the times she had felt most frightened. Facing Amon. Losing her connection to the other Avatars. None compared to now. An overwhelming sense of dread had taken hold of her and was not letting go. Fighting to keep hold of both her composure and her grip on Naga, she began a prayer to Raava.

'Raava, are you there? Please bring the light back into the world. Guide me to Asami … or at least _protect her_, please….'

They reached the docks. Korra struggled for a moment to figure out exactly_ where _Air Temple Island was, for there was no light anywhere past the shore to guide her eyes.

'Naga, stay here. Keep an eye out for Asami.' Korra slipped of the polar bear dog's back and jumped down into a boat. Naga gave a soft, low growl, as if warning her master not to leave her.

'I have to go,' Korra insisted. 'We're going to need some help. I'll be back soon.'

Korra conjured all the waterbending strength she could muster and sent the boat rushing forward through the water. Like the rest of Republic City, the ocean was dark, empty, and eerily quiet.

She was about what she guessed to be halfway to Air Temple Island when she had to pause to catch her breath. She let the water die down around the boat and took a few deep breaths to recover her strength.

'_Korra_!'

The voice shot through the darkness like an arrow slamming into her heart. Korra bolted upright, violently rocking the boat and almost losing her balance.

'Asami?!' The sound had sent Korra's breathing into a death-spiral. Where had it come from? She whirled around, peering into the black, trying to make out a light or some other source that would lead her to Asami.

'_Korra, where are you_?'

Strangled by her own crazy heartbeat, Korra stumbled forward to the front of the boat, ready to bend the water and move the boat forward, but scared to go incase she went the wrong way.

'Asami?' she whispered it this time, hearing her voice crack as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. She had never needed Asami more than at this moment. The possibilities of what had happened to her girlfriend clouded her mind, swarming like a thousand nightmares at once. With all of her strength Korra screamed and sent a blast of fire shooting into the sky, lighting up the surface of the water. There was nothing, nothing, nothing. Only blackness. She couldn't even seen Air Temple Island, or the shore she had come from.

Trembling with frightened rage, Korra collapsed on the seat in the boat, clutching at the sides and trying hard to catch her breath. 'Asami …'

A soft light appeared a few feet in front of her. It was murky and white, and the source was somewhere below the surface. Korra gasped and pushed the boat forward towards the light, leaning over the bow and peering into the water.

Far below the surface a light illuminated a body, curled in a foetal position, black hair tumbling over shoulders and fanning out across the ocean floor ….

_Asami._

Without even half a breath of hesitation Korra flung herself into the water, swimming down, down, down towards the bottom, propelling herself faster with her waterbending.

She was almost there when Asami's body awoke, and right before Korra's eyes it transformed into the deathly Avatar state Korra so feared. The glowing white eyes were the source of the light, and they burned right through Korra's body. The air left Korra's lungs as she screamed and tried to change direction, but by now she was too close, and the Avatar state seized her arm, dragging her down to the murky depths. She could not breathe, the light was disappearing, the Avatar state was sucking the life right out of her—

'Korra!'

Korra gasped and felt her body fling forward as she bolted upright, eyes wide open, gaping for air.

'Oh, Korra, thank god. Thank god. I was so scared.'

Asami's arms were tight around Korra, clinging to her like she'd been brought back from the dead. Korra buried herself in the hug, embracing Asami with an almost crushing strength. To hear Asami's breathing, feel her body against hers, breathe in her perfume … it brought Korra almost more relief than she could take.

'Where were you?' Korra choked, and realised she was crying.

'I've been here the whole time,' Asami said, stroking Korra's hair. 'Something happened to you. You were dreaming, and then you went into the Avatar state — then you were _gone_, I think you went into the spirit world. I couldn't get you out. I was so scared.'

'_You_ were gone,' Korra said. 'I — I was dreaming that Republic City had been swallowed in darkness. I was all alone. Someone had taken you. I thought you were dead.'

Asami gave a shaky laugh of relief. 'I never left.'

'I'm sorry,' Korra whispered.

'Don't be. It's not your fault.'

'Please don't ever leave me,' Korra said softly. 'I can't take it. I really can't take it.'

'Me neither,' Asami sighed, and kissed her gently on the lips. 'I promise, I'll never let you go.'


End file.
